There is a need to provide a plurality of control switches that are easily accessible to a stationary operator in the field of motor vehicles, where it is desirable to place all of the controls frequently needed by an operator of the motor vehicle in such a position that they may be manipulated with a minimum of movement by the driver.
It is desirable to incorporate additional functionalities into the stalk switch traditionally used to activate the vehicle turn signals because of the stalk's close proximity to the vehicle steering wheel. However, designers have encountered various problems relating to complexity, cost and reliability as the number of integrated functions increase.
There is therefore a need for a stalk switch capable of activating a multiplicity of functions while maintaining low complexity from an assembly standpoint, low cost and/or high reliability. The present invention is directed toward meeting this need.